Courtesy photo A kitten at the Second Chance Animal shelter poses for a photo while waiting to find a new home. The shelter received generous donations from Doug Pratt that will help fund the facility.

ALPENA – PRATTScape’s Antique and Gift Shop has been a staple in Alpena for 15 years. Last Sunday, it closed its doors one final time to the public.

In the days following, what transpired, some are calling a Christmas miracle.

Doug Pratt had a deadline to be out of his State street location. “We had to be out by Dec. 1. and I did not want to continue dropping my prices,” Pratt stated.

With a store full of valuable merchandise, he had to come up with something. What he decided will help many in Alpena.

For Pratt it did not take long to find a solution, as he decided to donate much of his inventory to local charities.

” I have been donating to local charities throughout my years in business. I figured what better way to help,” added Pratt.

Brad Somers, executive director of the Alpena Boys and Girls Club, said he has been a supporter of the club for many years. So for many, it was no surprise when Pratt opened his doors and allowed local organizations to pick out items left in the store. To be used for possible fundraising ideas.

“He opened his doors to us and allowed us to come in and see what he had, that might be of use,” Somers added. “Our team is working on several different fundraising ideas thanks to these donations.”

For many local non-profits on the receiving end of these generous donations, fundraising is an important part of their success. That is definitely the case for Second Chance Animal Shelter. With a re-store and other fundraisers playing a key role in helping the shelter find success.

Leanna Bloom, board member for the shelter stated, the donation from Prattscape will contribute to years of fundraising possibilities.

“The donation was so generous that the re-sale store will be stocked for the next two years,” Bloom said. “This will have a long-term impact. We are very appreciative.”

The shelter received enough donations from Pratt to keep their store shelves and backrooms full.

Christine Witulski, executive of the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan, said the donations the museum received will help with future events, including those during the holidays.

“They donated 21 Christmas trees, five of them completely decorated with ornaments and lights. We estimated the value of all the trees, and decorations, to be between 10 and 15 thousand dollars. This will help with our Season of Light celebration tremendously. We have been using some of the same decorations for decades. Thanks to these donations we can replace a lot of the items we needed to. We even have our theme all picked out for next year already.”

Closing a business is never easy,” Pratt said. However, thanks to this generosity many local organizations have a breath of fresh air this Christmas season. His donations truly may be gifts that keep on giving.

Pratt said that his landscaping side of business is still going strong and PRATTScape as an entity will continue on.